Animal-trap.



H. H. MAY.

\ ANIMAL TRAP. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1908.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

v attoznu a HENRY H. MAY, OF NEW ALBIN, IOWA.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec; 22, 1908'.

Application filed. September 2, 1908. Serial No. 451,3.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. MAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Albin, in the county of Allamakee and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Animal-Trap, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to animal traps, and has for its object to rovide a spring trap for the capture of sma animals, such as rats, mice and the like, a trap which shall be strong and consist of few parts which may be easily manufactured and assembled at small cost.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the trap in set position; Fig. 2 a longitudinal sectional view of the same, and Fig. 3 a like view of the trap after it has been trip ed.

Like reference characters are used or the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawing, 1 indicates the base which in this instance is made of sheet metal in the form of a pan, having a vertical rear wall 2 and side walls 3, the upper edges of the latter walls tapering downwardly towards the front edge of the pan'which is turned up slightly as shown at 4.

About midway the length of the pan is a transverse pin 5 projecting through the side walls thereof and secured against removal by riveting or u setting its ends. Pivotally mounted on tfie pin 5 is a movable jaw 6, here shown as made of wire, rectan ularin form with its parallel sides near t e side walls of the base land its free end adapted to rest, when the tra is sprun in the turned up front 4 of tfie'base. l xtending across the 'aw 6 between the sides and end thereof and rearwardly as far as necessary is a net-work 7 of wires fastened to said aw which serve to prevent the escape of small animals such as mice caught in traps made for larger animals. The sides of the jaw when made of wire are bent to form eyes 8,

I one on each side, that rock on the pin 5.

After forming the eyes 8said wire is fashioned into a loop 9 disposedin a lane at about a right angle to the plane of t ejaw 6 and adapted to engage a trigger 10 for hold.- ing the jaw open. One or more wire coil springs 11 with projecting ends, surround the pin 5, one of said ends bearing on the base 1 and the other end on the jaw 6 for quickly closing the same when the trigger 10 is tripped.

A bait sup ort 12 is suspended between the base 1 an the jaw 6, by eyes 13 from the pin 5 and is capable of rocking thereon, an upward tendency being imparted thereto by a wire coil spring 14 on the pin 5, its ends bearing respectively. on the base and on the under side of said bait su port. The bait support 12 is shown as made of a loop 15 of wire, narrower and shorter than the jaw 6 and rovided with fingers 16 reaching rearward ly from the front end on which fingers the bait is placed. A trip loop 17 forming a part of the bait sup ort extends upwardly from the eyes 13 on w liich the forward end of the trigger bears when the trap is set.

The trigger 10 is pivotally mounted on a transverse pin 18 or other suitable means at the rear of the base and projects forwardly sufficiently far to bear on the trip loop 17 when set. At the top of the trigger near the ivot is a notch 19 to receive and hold the aw loop 9 when the trap is set. The forward end of the trigger is beveled or curved at 20 so that it may ride past the trip loop 17 and permit the automatic settin of the trap. A stop 21 on the base in rear 0 the pin 5 is provided against which the trip loop bears when the trap is set to prevent the bait su port rising too high under the influence of t e spring 14.

Assuming the trap to be sprung as represented in Fig. 3, it is set by pressing the aw loop 9 rearwardly until it engages the notch 19 in the trigger. The bait support, which had been depressed by the jaw rises as soon as the jaw is elevated to its highest point, thereby moving the tri loop over the beveled or curved forwar end of the trigger. The entrance of the jaw loop into the notch 9 raises the forward end of the trigger, and its beveled end striking the trip loop, pushes it forward until the trigger end escapes past said tri loop, the latter then s rings beneatht e tri ger and holds it e evated so that the aw oop is retained in the notch 9 which is inclined at such an angle as to lock the jaw loop and hold the jaw elevated orset.

The moment the bait su port is depressed slightly, the trigger loop 1s withdrawn from the trigger, releasing it and permittingthe jaw to drop quickly under the influence of the s ring or springs 11.

W at is claimed is 2-- 1 1. A trap comprising a base, 'a springactuated jaw mounted to swing upon the base, a loop integral with said jaw and disposed at an angle thereto, a trigger pivotally mounted at one end upon the base and provided between its ends with a loop-receiving notch, a.springcontrolled bait su port mounted on the base, a loop integral tierewith and disposed at an angle thereto, for supporting the trigger in engagement with the oop of the jaw, and a sto device integral with the base for limiting t e movement r of the loop of the bait sup ort.-

trolled aw movabl 2. A trap comprising a ase, a s ring-conmounted t ereon, .a trigger or holding t e jaw set, and a baitsupport for lockin the trigger, said support comprising a sing e length of wire bent to form 0 positely disposed pivot-receiving eyes, there being an intermediate loop between the eyes, the end portions of the wire being directed inwardly toward the loop and twistmy own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY H. MAY.

Witnesses:

OsoAR G. TANTT, W. 0. BOOK. 

